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Chapter 40
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2024-10-29 19:42:56*
The curtains were drawn shut, as they always were. Somehow, though, a few inches remained between them so that a sliver of light crept into the room and onto the carpet. Slowly, meticulously, it crawled up the side of the bed as the sun rose higher into the sky until the light touched Afrah's sleeping face.
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Scarred For Life Chapter 41
*Nafisa's scream echoed through the house."I knew it!" she squealed. "I just knew you were madly in love with her. I knew it!" "I said I want to marry her," Adnan pointed out. "When did I ever mention anything about being madly in love with her?" "Just look at the way you're grinning right now," she laughed. "Of course you're in love with her." "That's enough, Nafisa," their mother said, rising from her prayer mat. She walked slowly towards her bed, sinking into the mattress with a decided groan. "I'm happy for you, Adnan," she said, watching him as he walked towards the window. The sight outside was enough to instantly spoil his mood as he saw Zainab sitting beside their father out by the pool, smiling at something he said. "Adnan?" she called, her tone indicating that he had failed to answer a question. "Hm?" "Don't you think it's a bit too soon to be talking about marriage?" she asked. "I've known Afrah for nearly a year now," he said. "I think I'm fairly certain that I w
Scarred For Life Chapter 42
* "Marriage?!" Damn it! "Afrah, I can explain.""I don't want to marry you, Adnan," the words tumbled out of her without so much as a pause. Adnan sat up on the bed, his eyes drawn to the clock. It was 11pm, the ungodliest hour of the day. "Afrah, please let me explain." "Why would you think that I would ever want to marry you?" "Wow," he said, trying at humor. "That's a nice boost to a man's ego." "Why did you do this behind my back?" she asked. "I'm sorry," he said. "Truly, I am. But perhaps if you would let me get in a word, then you will understand my own point of view." "I don't want to hear it," she said. "Afrah, please." He sounded calm. Too calm. It wasn't fair, when her mind was spinning in a million different directions. Marriage to him? Of all people? Imagine that. But the terrifying part was that she actually could. She could imagine them together, and she could imagine him as her husband. It was exactly what she had been trying to stop herself from imagini
Scarred For Life Chapter 43
*Zainab's eyes flew from Adnan's bleeding knuckles to the spot where he had tried to put his hand through the wall. "Was that really necessary?" she asked. "Get out of my room," he said, his back turned to her. The blood from his knuckles trickled down onto the tiles, forming a small puddle at his feet. Already, all four of his fingers were beginning to swell from the pain. But it didn't matter. None of it did. Because no matter what he put himself through, no matter how much he tried to hurt himself otherwise, the aching in his heart was far greater than any other form of physical pain. Zainab gingerly stepped forward, ignoring the menacing way Adnan was breathing. "I heard your mother talking to your sister," she said. "And I just wanted to offer my condolences." "I don't want or need your condolences," he said. "I want to be left alone." "Cheer up already," she sighed. "She'll come around. I know she will." "You know nothing," he said bitterly. "On the contrary, Mr Adna
Scarred For Life Chapter 44
*Several days later, Afrah still couldn't decide whether she had done the right thing or not. Sometimes, she would look at her reflection and insist that she wanted this; that it was the right thing to do. Other times, she would lock herself in her bedroom and cry, unable to bear the thought of it all. But she had made her bed, and now she must lie in it. The uncertainty remained with her however, even when Adnan's representatives came over to formally ask for her hand. Afrah nearly had a heart attack when she was called to help with the food, but a stroke of luck saved her when she realized that his father wasn't there. Instead, her father's cousins had taken up the space in the living room, conversing loudly so that their voices bounced off the walls. They were talking about politics, which had never been her favorite topic in the world. Afrah kept her face down as she placed the food before them, hurrying back to her room. She left the door open however, so she could hear what t
Scarred For Life Chapter 45
* As expected, the news spread throughout the city like a highly contagious virus. It was the only thing anyone who was anyone talked about. Afrah Aminu, the rarest of them all, had finally gotten hitched. It was to be expected, of course. Growing up, Afrah had always been compared to her more vibrant and tenacious sister, and people always wondered why she never had any friends. Anyone who knew their family -and there were a lot of them- knew that Afrah didn't talk to anyone. She was different like that, and it had long since been accepted that that was just the way she wanted to live her life. Afrah's mother spared no effort in making sure that the wedding would be the most talked about event for months to come. Within a matter of days, invitations began to go out. The envelopes were a bright shade of gold, with the writing in silver and an elegantly designed A&A on the front. Everyone who received one smiled satisfactorily, while those who didn't found solace in complaining to e
Scarred For Life Chapter 46
*Afrah woke up to the sunlight creeping into her bedroom, and the sounds of the bird performing a sonnet right outside her window. She remained lying down while her brain booted up slowly. Her mother used to say that when it came to waking up, she was like an old computer, the ones with vacuum tubes. Having gone to bed late the night before, she took several minutes to recollect her thoughts. Fifteen minutes later, she crawled out of the bed. It was no graceful affair, more like a snail emerging from its shell than a princess rousing from her bed. Her footsteps were silent as she walked to the window, the carpet absorbing most of the sound. She pushed her hair out of her face, drawing the curtains aside. The sunlight poured into the room then, blinding her momentarily. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew there was something she was forgetting. Today didn't seem like an ordinary day. The sun was much too radiant, the clouds has gone on vacation, and the air felt intrinsical
Scarred For Life Chapter 47
*Adnan had always imagined what it would feel like to hold Afrah and call her his wife. He had imagined the feel of her hand in his, and the way his heart would flutter whenever she looked at him through the eyes of a wife. But nothing could have prepared him for the way his breath would seize momentarily whenever she turned to him, or the way his heart soared when she slipped her hand into his and smiled so brightly that his knees trembled from the effort of looking at her and remaining calm and collected. The moment they descended the stairs, a cheer erupted in the living room, so loud and deafening that it seemed to shake the building. The ladies swooned at the sight, the men barked out their laughter as they cheered him on, and somewhere in the crowd a woman stared at Afrah with a calculating look in her eyes, relishing the thought of all the heinous things she was going to do to her. Neither Afrah nor Adnan noticed her however. They were too busy smiling at everyone, turning
Scarred For Life Chapter 48
*"Can I ask you something?" Sa'ada said, a sweet look in her eyes. "Sure," Afrah replied, staring down at the time on her phone. Soon, her mother would be calling her upstairs to get ready for the dinner. She had been sitting out here with Sa'ada for a long time now, and soon they'll have to leave. But there was something about the woman that kept her in her seat. It was a strange twinkle in her eye, almost as if she knew something Afrah didn't. "Do you love Adnan?" she asked. Her voice was light; playful, even. But somewhere in her eyes, one could tell that she was eager to find out the answer. "I..." Afrah stared down at her hands, deciding to answer the question truthfully. "I don't know. I guess I'm supposed to, but it's a process. Surely I'll get there one day."Somehow, she missed the way Afrah gripped her bottle tighter, and the way her eyes flashed maliciously before she regained her composure, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Don't you love him?" "Not
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Scarred For Life Epilogue
*The drive to the beach took longer than any of them had anticipated. The weather was dry, with the heat rising to a dangerous level. Twice, they had to stop to fix a punctured tyre. "Are we there yet?" "Just a little further," he replied, wading through the traffic. "It won't be long now."They had left his uncle's house early that morning, with a picnic basket which they filled along the way. They had hoped to beat the traffic by leaving early, but even so they only managed to cover eighteen miles in an hour. By the time they finally reached the beach, it was a few minutes past noon. The sun was high up in the sky, and their shadows had disappeared underneath them. There was a small crowd gathered on the sand, which surprised him as it was a weekday. "Come," he said to her, offering his right hand while he took the basket in the other. "I know the perfect spot for us."He led her away from the crowd, keeping his hold on her tightly. He recognized the group as students from the
Scarred For Life Chapter 83
* Azra was a bright-eyed, polite, little eleven year old who couldn't meet anyone's eyes when she was brought to the house by Adnan. Afrah, who had been discharged three days prior, watched from her window as he drove into the house with the little girl sitting beside him. Looking at him, she still didn't know what exactly she felt. Of course she still despised what he'd done, but she didn't necessarily hate Adnan himself. Forgiving him was hard. It was probably the hardest thing she would ever learn to do. But it would be worth it if they would learn to live happily for the rest of their lives. Azra's mother had been much too happy to let her go. They had been struggling to provide for the little girl with her new husband, who was significantly less-wealthy than Adnan. Layla knew the girl would have a better future with her biological father. When she got the call from Adnan, a part of her wanted to hang up on him. But since it concerned his daughter, she'd listened to his plea a
Scarred For Life Chapter 82
*Carpets and curtains. She dreamt of them both, not as separate entities, but as one. Throughout her existence, Afrah had been surrounded by carpets and curtains, each lending its own unique addition to the story of her life. They were always silent, never considered but ever present. She recalled the carpets in her bedroom, how soft and flat it was. Twice a year, the carpets would be taken out so they could be washed and returned. The curtains were washed every month, and Afrah remembered sitting in the middle of her room one time when both carpets and curtains were removed, and she simply stared at the barrenness of her room. Strange how something as insignificant as carpets and curtains could change the entire appearance of her bedroom. She recalled the carpets in her father's room, the plush cream color stretching from wall to wall. His curtains were white, which she remembered complaining to her mother about once. "Why can't I have white curtains as well?" she'd asked. "Bec
Scarred For Life Chapter 81
*Afrah didn't know she was capable of doing it until she'd done it. Spontaneous action was never her area of expertise, knowing fully well that she was more of a reactive person than a proactive one. But the sight of Fahad falling to the floor jolted her to action. It was like a spark had awakened in her, grinding the gears in her brain. She began by lunging for the gun. Yusuf wasn't expecting her to move. Neither did he hear her move, since the carpet muffled her footsteps. He was still pointing the gun at Fahad's twitching corpse when Afrah's hands suddenly wrapped around the gun and yanked it out of his hands. He staggered back, bewildered by her action. And then she brought the gun to his chest, looking him dead in the eye. Time seemed to freeze in that moment. Neither he nor she dared to move. Between them was their hateful glare, separated by the barrel of the gun. His breathing was calm, while hers was irregular, coming in short bursts. In that moment, their roles were rev
Scarred For Life Chapter 80
*Every movement caused Afrah to jump; every second his eyes spent watching her made her skin crawl. She didn't sit. Instead she remained where she was standing, her arms folded in front of her. Yusuf meanwhile had leaned back into the seat, sighing comfortably. "What would you like to have?" he asked nonchalantly. "Some water, perhaps? I have some orange juice which still happens to be fresh. Or would you prefer a coke? I have some wine as well, but then knowing how close you and Adnan are, I'm sure he's taught you to stray away from fine wine. So, which would you prefer to have?""I would like to have my daughter back," Afrah replied. Yusuf studied her for a few seconds before he chuckled. "Of course," he said. "It's why you're here, is it not? As for me, I'd like a Bloody Mary."He stood up then, stretched with a slight groan before he left the room. Afrah remained where she was, awkwardly staring at the stained walls with nothing but a single wall clock hanging on them. She tho
Scarred For Life Chapter 79
*"I remember it like it was yesterday," Halima said. "And I know how cliché that sounds, but it really does feel like yesterday even though it was almost thirty years ago."Adnan tilted his head to the side, trying to detect a hint of deception in her words. "I was a little girl, so foolish and ignorant. I guess I've always been like that. But we can say that my ignorance and foolishness were somewhat exaggerated at that point in my life. Before I tell you how it happened however, I think you should understand the beginning of it all. I believe I was on my way to my uncle's house that day. I'm sure your father told you all about the village we grew up in.""Bakura," he replied indifferently. "Yes," Halima replied, twisting her hands. "It's a small settlement, and we grew up so close that everyone knew the name of everyone else. It was so small that it was impossible to leave home without everyone being able to give a detailed account of where you went. Your paternal grandfather and
Scarred For Life Chapter 78
*Adnan couldn't bring himself to do it. All through the flight to Kano, he kept staring at his mother in-law's phone number, debating whether he should do it or not. He couldn't. What exactly would he say?'Hello, yes I was just wondering if you have a hand in kidnapping my daughter and I was just wondering if you knew where she was so I can get her back?'Stupid. He couldn't tell Afrah either. Not when it involved her mother. She would be heart broken if she found out. But then Zainab might be lying. She was a pathological liar after all. Why wouldn't she lie to him? It didn't make any sense. Surely she must have just said that to throw him off their scent. And stupid as he was, he'd left the state knowing that she'd been pardoned by the governor. Now she was free; free to wreak her havoc over them once again. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place. When they landed in Kano, Adnan's first stop was the police station. The sergeant was eager to help, and very soon all t
Scarred For Life Chapter 77
*Some say terror brings an overwhelming sense of confusion, so sharp and painful that the person isn't able to decipher his left from his right. It robs the mind of its tact, and ensnares the person in its claws. For Afrah, terror brought an overwhelming sense of calm. In the seconds after Adnan spoke to her on the phone, her senses heightened, and something inside of her seemed to snap. She was neither aware of walking out of the hospital, nor was she aware of hopping into her car and driving off. Her heart was racing, and the wailing of a thousand exhausted cars desperately trying to maneuver around each other was lost to her. All she heard was silence, so pure and complete that even her breathing was faint, almost nonexistent. And then she screamed.No one heard her, of course. No one heard the anguish in her voice, or the desperation in her every breath. The pain came from within her, seeping out of her pores and wrapping her in a dreadful blanket. Remarkable however, was the f
Scarred For Life Chapter 76
*Hafsah grew rapidly. It was almost as if one day she went to sleep a baby, and woke up the next day with a vocabulary of over five hundred words. Her growth spurt happened right around the time that Afrah and Adnan moved to Kano. Amina called it their migration, while everyone else called it a relocation. Like birds which migrated south for the winter, Amina told everyone who listened that they'd migrated north for The Long Winter, one which would stretch on for years if care was not taken. Adnan was much too happy to move. Knowing they were leaving the danger of Abuja behind was the only thing which finally made him able to sleep. That, and the knowledge that Zainab was serving a life sentence. The charges leveled against her would have easily amounted to culpable homicide punishable with death, but an unknown party was said to have bribed the judge and reduced the charges to culpable homicide not punishable with death. Adnan had been ready to appeal, but Afrah assured him that
